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50 Pfennig
| Issuer | Magistrat der Stadt Bernstadt in Schlesien |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
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| Reference(s) | Gra#B36.1c Va#0550.10.03 |
| Obverse description | Yellow-ground Notgeld with a central vignette of a winged allegorical female figure standing above the municipal coat of arms of Bernstadt, which bears crossed hammers and six-pointed stars. The denomination numeral '50' appears in large black Gothic type at left and right, each set against a red six-pointed star, with 'Pfennig' lettered beneath in bold script. The upper border carries the title inscription in a rounded cartouche, and the lower border bears the guarantee clause in Gothic letterpress. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Gutschein der Stadt Bernstadt i/Schl. 50 Pfennig Bernstadt in Schlesien. Der Magistrat Für Einlösung haftet die Stadthautkasse. |
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| Comments |
Bernstadt in Schlesien — now Bierutów in southwestern Poland — was one of hundreds of small German municipalities that resorted to Notgeld during the postwar currency chaos of 1920. The Magistrat issued this 50 Pfennig note as emergency small change when coin shortages made everyday commerce difficult. Town-level issuances like this one were technically unauthorized by the Reichsbank but tolerated out of necessity.
The Grabowski reference B36.1c and the Venner/Arno catalog cross-reference suggest at least minor variety differences exist within this series — likely in overprint shade or paper stock rather than design changes.